Measurement of recording studio control room operational response for various audio monitor configurations using a binaural artificial head

Abstract

The primary technical recommendations for measuring the Operational Room Response Curve (ORRC) in a recording studio control room, given in EBU-TECH-3276 and ITU BS.1116, imply the use of a single microphone located at the “reference listener position” as well as other “worst case” locations. It is known that the results of measuring the ORRC in this way can differ significantly for only one audio monitor (loudspeaker) operating compared to the two monitors required for stereo, and for multichannel immersive audio configurations, such as Dolby Atmos. These differences can alter the way that program material will be perceived by the studio users (mix and master engineers) who employ two ears to make production decisions, not one! It is proposed to use a binaural artificial head system for ORRC measurements, to better simulate real-world listening conditions. This research analyzes and compares the measurements of the ORRC made using the standard single microphone locations to measurements made using a binaural artificial head, for various monitor configurations. The impact of these findings on the decision quality for the studio user will be addressed.